The Newer Evangelization?

And I thought that our call to evangelize was timeless ...

To evangelize is to preach the gospel -- to give a reason for our hope in Christ.  Saint Peter tells us that, with gentleness and respect, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for your hope." (1 Pet 3:15)  His use of the word "always" is of no little significance -- literally, in every age and in every circumstance.  When we encounter the Spirit of Christ, we are always driven to preach the gospel.

As Bl. Pope John XXIII convened the second Vatican Council, he spoke of the need to "open windows" of the Church and "let in fresh air".  Regardless of the fact that some of our church facilities smell a little like grannie's attic, I'm pretty sure he was speaking about the Holy Spirit -- to let Him in, let Him move about freely and fill the Church as He did that first Pentecost. 

Similarly, when Pope John Paul II called the faithful to a new evangelization, he wasn't intimating that for 2000 years the Church had gotten it wrong ("Out with the old evangelization and in with the new!") -- rather that what was needed was a rekindling of the fiery love with which the post-Pentacostal apostles taught and preached.

He wrote in his apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Millenium):

We must revive in ourselves the burning conviction of Paul, who cried out: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:16).

This passion will not fail to stir in the Church a new sense of mission, which cannot be left to a group of "specialists" but must involve the responsibility of all the members of the People of God. Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves, they must proclaim him. A new apostolic outreach is needed, which will be lived as the everyday commitment of Christian communities and groups.

The St. Dismas Holy Name Society Prison Ministry was one such group borne out of the same Spirit, although long before JPII's call for a new evangelization.  It's true that the Spirit moves each of us in different ways and endows us with just the right gifts and charisms to fulfill our individual mission in life, but the Holy Father was telling us that no Christian is exempt from the call to build a civilization of love by proclaiming the faith of Christ.  The Great Commission to preach the gospel at all times and in all places, whether convenient or inconvenient, was given to disciples of every age and every walk of life.
 
Just ask octogenarian "Bud" Cope ...
 
Here's part 2 of a series of 3 excerpts from the article 'In Prison and You Visited Me', written by Eddie O'Neill and published in the National Catholic Register, July, 2009.

In Prison and You Visited Me

By Eddie O’Neill

Retreats inside prisons became his “life’s calling.”

In 2008, Cope and his prison-ministry group conducted 11 retreats at 11 different prisons across the nation. Prisoners sign up for a four-day retreat that runs Thursday through Sunday. Local volunteers help Cope and his co-leaders run the retreats. Called metanoia retreats (the word is Greek for 'change of heart'), these weekends are packed with inspirational talks, small-group sharing, prayer, Mass, and confession.

Father Tom Hayes in the Diocese of San Francisco, CA, seconds the importance of Catholic retreats for Catholic inmates. He serves as the spiritual director for the National Association of the Holy Name Society, under whose auspices the St. Dismas Prison Ministry operates.

“When you offer an authentic presentation of the Gospel, there is a positive result,” says Father Hayes, who will celebrate his 50th year as a Dominican this year.

He notes that, frequently, in prison ministry the depth of Catholic spirituality and teaching depends on the dedication of the prison chaplain. In many cases, he says, the chaplain in charge can be someone who misunderstands or misrepresents the Catholic Church.

When a St. Dismas retreat is offered, he adds, Catholic prisoners know what they are getting.

“This is a work that is bringing the love of Jesus to the people,” says Father Hayes. “The weekends are energetic and have an evangelizing effect on everyone involved.”

For additional information, please contact:
Harry "Bud" Cope
1823 Service Lane
Monessen, PA 15062-2317
(724) 684-4990


Please prayerfully consider providing financial support to this worthwhile ministry.

Please make checks payable to:
St Dismas Holy Name Society Prison Ministry
c/o Mr. L.P. Manns
298 Rolling Hills Road
Ruffsdale, Pennsylvania 15679